Revenge is a dish best served cold
by missmcweir
Summary: Kyoya Ootori has reached everything he had ever striven for. There is but one issue unresolved, and he asks his father for help. When the battle between men resurgitates, who will keep his cool?KyouHaru. Set in future. Complete.
1. A: The snare Prologue

_Disclaimer: Don't own them, promise to put them back after playing._

Part A: The trap

(Prologue)

Ootori Kyouya was sitting in the impressive chair, his back turned to the huge desk, nearly empty except for a phone, a few select Montblanc pens and a photograph of the family in whose name and tradition he now guided one of the largest economical conglomerates of Japan, and thus the world – economically speaking.

He was observing the endless blinking of lights of Tokyo, stretching out underneath his headquarters seemingly without end. On good days, he would see a glimpse of Fuji-San over the bustling city, but during the nights, the turbulence was swallowed in an unseemingly dream-like substance of dark, coulour and movement that made him feel as observing a strange forest growing out before his eyes.

The large room was empty except for a few carefully selected furnitures and works of art. The seats his opponents on the battlefield that was his desk had to take were selected to be just a hint lower than usual, representing the balance of power that was usually in his favour. The painting and sculptures were impressive, and rather cold and mysterious. This room wasn't designed to look friendly. Personally, he didn't care for it much, but he had to admit that the twins had outdone themselves when creating the perfect business area that would make anyone entering aware of the power that sat before them.

His personal workspace was way smaller, way simpler and a lot more personal – it was actually getting a bit cluttered. It could be entered through a door carefully hidden behind an expressionistic portrait of himself. Tamaki had once remarked that stepping through the door was like leaving behind Ootori Kyouya and stepping into Kyouya Ootori. He had only glared at that, but secretly appreciated that his oldest friend had immediately recognized the meaning of the room to him. It was Tamaki who had brought a lot of the furniture in the room from his travels over the world, having discovered the joys of flea-markets and international shipping. Kyouya didn't quite know where „he" was in an rather ancient, but comfortable sofa, but Tamaki had insisted.

Right now, he would really like to lounge on that sofa, going over business reports with a nice cup of sencha from a mug Haruhi had given him once - it had her father's new establishments label printed underneath and had a pleasant motive of sakura petals on simple clay ware. However, he had made a special appointment, one that wouldn't allow for him to show any weakness.

He had done it all – he had outshone his brothers when his time at university was faster and better used than they had managed, and he came out highly decorated, practically leaving his professors begging for him to stay and teach. He didn't have time for that – yet. He had remained in the role of the dutiful son, excelling at tasks, but never overstepping any boundaries of propriety. He had been lurking in the shadows, as usual, and had been waiting for his chance. It came, when he had saved his families empire when the economic circumstances changed and Yoshio Ootori hadn't been able to adapt. His father had never seen him coming, until it as too late and Kyouya had won. The Shadow King had come to take what always should have belonged to him.

The sound of the speaker system raised him from his mental preparation. „Sir, your appointment has arrived." "Thank you, Miss Tohru. Please send him in. There will be no need for you to wait - Have a good evening", he answered after having turned his seat to face the desk again. He had already made his secretary stay longer as usual with this late appointment, and there was no use keeping her around. He'd also rather not have witnesses for what was to follow.

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_A/N: This story will have about 8 chapters, and though I haven't finished it yet, I a) hope to be able to update quickly and b) decided to post this to see whether it rises interest. Feedback is very much appreciated!_


	2. A: The snare Setting the snare

(Setting the snare )

The large door opened and his father stepped in, not the shining and stern business magnate anymore, but an old man that pure obstinacy (or malice?) had kept from crumpling when he had to realize that he failed. Despite the fact that at least, the family name was still intact because of his youngest child, Yoshio Ootori had never been able to appreciate that, focusing only on the wounds in his pride the ruthless battle between two men had bestowed on him.

Looking towards his opponent, no fatherly pride would come – his son was the enemy that haunted his days and nights, when he remembered what he had lost. Presently, the incubus he had raised was standing up, showing off a smile that couldn't be but fake and greeted him with an polite voice he had learned to fear.

„Please have a seat, father. It is good to see you in such good health. I see that the gardening is becoming you very well." Clenching his teeth, Ootori senior seated himself in the designated chair and looked at his son. Mustering all the politeness he had left, he responded: „ It is very good to see you, too. I see you had the office redecorated – I never knew you were such a spender." _Oh well,_ he thought, _he had tried, but hadn't quite managed to bite back the last remark_.

But bringing up the gardening was a rather low shot – after he had lost control of his company, he was left with nothing. Until Kyouya entrusted him with a task – which turned out to be the management of a beautiful scenic garden in Himeji. He would have appreciated the position a lot more were it not so insignificant compared to his previous ventures and had not that specific garden been another sore topic between them. It had been the first investment Kyouya had done, and he had managed to build it up to a tourist attraction that did not quite, but nearly draw as many visitors as the famous castle right next to it. Before that was apparent, his soon had received rather a lot of scolding and taunting during family dinners for such a senseless investment. To be now reduced to a garden that had proven to be the first indicator of his son's excellency, and be so far away from his previous position and location was a punishment he couldn't think but unfair.

Had he been more lucent, he might have recognized that the cruel play in which he used his own children as pawns would at some point backfire and bring him down. However, his mind was too much used to the power structure he had helped to invent to be able to see the power that people hold within them. He had only ever cared about formal structures and connections that didn't have a security net for those falling through the loops. He had never believed himself in the danger of falling through himself. Now, his former business partners were thinking he was taking a pleasant and light exit out of the business world, installing his son and just doing some pre-retirement work to be there just in case. Nobody thought that he was forced into _gardening_, and that he suffered.

His son seemed unshaken, merely raising an eyebrow and answering that it was but a taste of the fresh wind that would transport the company beyond old levels. Glowering, Yoshio Ootori decided to preserve his strength for the rest of the appointment.

Kyouya decided that the investment in the garden had paid off just for that one remark.

„What gives me the honour of your invitation?" he asked. Kyouya had to hide a grin, his father proved a lot less formidable than he had anticipated. He hadn't quite foreseen him faltering that easily. Relaxing back into his chair, taking his time to his father sitting uncomfortably in the chair (another specific of the design) and pretending not to be forced to look up at him. He was savouring the moment, yet he knew that he still had the majority of his plan before him, and that blundering now was going to ruin everything.

Yoshio grew impatient under the scrutinizing gaze of his son, and tried desperately not to let it show. Kyouya really would have liked to laugh out, but he had to keep his mask in place. Finally, deciding that he had tortured his father enough, he said nonchalantly:

„Actually, I have a favour to ask you."

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_A/N: Hope you enjoyed the second chapter - and I hope that there aren't any incomprehensible phrases, I tend to get over-enthusiastic...Let me know what you think?_


	3. B: The prey Snap! and saved?

Part B: The prey

(Snap! and saved?)

Now, Yoshio Ootori really lost control of his facial features. „ A favor..." „ Well, my dear father, you know that I am nearing my thirties and that I have reached almost everything I ever striven for" Kyouya began, letting the words roll out while watching the impact „So, I think it would be about high time to settle down personally, too. However, I am far too busy to find a suitable candidate for marriage myself, and so I want you to do it."

He let the word sink in, never letting the relaxed look on his face slip, while he thought about all the threats in the past and unhappy Fuyumi. But this was part of the plan, and he knew that he had cared for his sister like her father should have. That made it a whole lot easier to enjoy his father's unbelieving look. Maybe it was time for another subtle taunt?

„ I always thought that your matchmaking qualities were superior to those of most other parents" he continued „so it would be an honor to have you negotiate on my behalf." His father was still ringing with control, but he didn't seem to be quite shaken enough yet. „I trust you are still familiar with the customs of arranged marriages?" That finally got a reaction out of the senior man."I wouldn't have taken you to be the type for that, you always seemed disgusted by the idea" Yoshio shot at his youngest son. „ Well, I am a man of sense, not of sensibility. This appeared to be the most sensible and economic solution. Or is it beyond your interests nowadays?"

Ootori Yoshio knew at that exact moment that he had walked in the snare. He should never have agreed to come to Tokyo for such an obscure invitation, and he should maybe have behaved himself a bit better. His other children had all gone through the procedure on his command, and with very little success. His first son was too tense to make any girl want to become a bride, the second but a scoundrel, unmarriageable material. His daughter was married, but even Yoshio suspected that she wasn't happy. There was no possible way to escape this „_favor_", and to not try his best. His best might just not be enough. The demon had apparently not enough of their battles, and the senior felt that this one would be decisive.

Kyouya watched his father battling in his mind. He had him exactly where he wanted him to be - normal parents would refuse the whole thing, or if they did, it wouldn't be considered a battle of wills. But this was not an ordinary parent-child relationship, and there was no way his father would back out. He would see it for what is was: a declaration of war, and he would know that his personal happiness would be as much affected as his son's.

Ootori sen. knew that there were but two possible outcomes in this: one, that he would succeed on this mission and thereby raising his position within the family hierarchy that was now at Kyouya's command, or fail miserably and face the final defeat against his son. He might as well really start gardening, for the latter was a lot likelier. But he had made a decision.

„ Very well, my son, I will see what I can do and contact you soon." he grimaced. Kyouya smiled politely and thanked him for his efforts. Wishing him a good night and a safe trip home, he guided his father out of the office. On the video surveillance, he could follow the now hunching man with the sallow face leaving the building.

Kyouya considered calling Fuyumi to tell her about the events of the evening. Of his family, she was the only one he had kept close and had arranged for a position that would give her independence should she ever choose to need it. He knew that it was only a matter of time, and they had always been the two in the family to care and look out for each other. He also knew that it was only a matter of time before she needed the knowledge of financial stability in her life as an support to risk personal insecurity. Kyouya couldn't talk very well about his emotions, but Fuyumi had understood that he was supporting her on her way in his own way.

His brothers, mere minions of his father, had however been disposed of separately. His middle brother had proven himself to be a harmless idiot, who only needed a bit of money and a position that afforded an exclusive title to change sides. He now sat in a faraway corner in Japan where his behavior wasn't as likely to end up in the rainbow press. His oldest brother however had been a bit of a problem – it turned out he really didn't like to loose. Quite fortunately, a research post in one of the overseas laboratories became vacant, and Kyouya didn't think it likely that they would be able to do without the expertise of the oldest Ootori for quite a while...

Meanwhile, Yoshio Ootori was now thinking a lot more clearly – Sake always had that effect on him, and he knew he would have to have plan. This was his only chance to get out the mess and gain a bit control back, and to beat his son for once. There was a chance, he could conquer this. Slipping softly off his chair, he decided to postpone the plan to tomorrow.

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_A/N: I hope this is gaining a bit of speed - and I hope that everyone's in character... I'm not sure whether the brother's names are ever mentioned, but they are really just factors in this battle - not participants - so it's ok for them to remain anonymous. Really not worth checking the entire canon;)._


	4. B: The prey North is up

(North is up)

Waking up with an ever-so-slight headache, Yoshio Ootori had settled himself down to a rather luxurious breakfast, intent on planning his escape from misery. He was used to weighing options and deciding on a course of action. It was why he had been so successful in building the family empire from a traditional manufacture to a multilevel international corporation. In his life as a businessman, he had sometimes been faced with difficult situations which his cool mind had allowed him to leave as a winner. He was ruthless, calculating and had an impressive instinct for market reactions. However, his opponents had never been quite as formidable as the one he faced today. At least that seemed to be a family trait. He needed a plan...

On his good side was the fact that his son had at least a bit more marriage material in him than his brothers. He was rather good-looking – the Ootori family looks - , was intelligent, rich, and one of the leading figures in the world of business. And he had personal charme and integrity – at least according to others. So if his son was willing to enter an arranged marriage, there should be someone who might be tempted...

He knew that there were basically two choices of girls, and he had to make the right choice. There were the rich heiresses, and the talented ones. So there actually was only one talented one he could think of, and he had for a while thought about making her his daughter-in-law. That plan had become secondary over the evolving crisis, but maybe now was the time to dig it out again.

But the he heiresses might be a contacts... His former business associates who had once been wild to marry off their daughters to his sons had at some point made them someone else's bride when it became clear that a marriage into the Ootori family would not only take a long time and hard negotiations, but also come at a high price. Some had also secretly withdrawn upon meeting the graduated sons and deeming them inappropriate, caring enough about their daughters to not trap them. He would need to really get in the hunt to find a candidate.

And as for the talented one – Haruhi Fujioka was not the poor student, that (nearly) nobody on his level would even consider for marriage anymore. She had finished her scholarship schooling, entered university and had proven herself to be a brilliant and talented student - and now, she was a highly reputated lawyer with a high-class clientele that had worked her way to the top. She was now even featured on business news, seeing that her clients were drawn from Japan's business elite. From that, Yoshio Ootori also knew that she had outgrown the androgynous look and was actually quite an eye-catcher... In short, she would make the perfect wife for his son, even more should the fight within the family ever become known.

And there was the fact that during the last years, her relationship with some of the former host club members had apparently occasionally overstepped the boundaries of friendship – he usually was not one to follow the boulevard media, but when his family might be concerned, he had no choice but to. There were no reports on his son, so he made no further investigations.

The only problem with Fujioka Haruhi was that she was probably the only girl on the planet that Kyouya wouldn't have needed his help with. They had been close friends ever since high-school, the tightly knit group that he had once scolded his son for joining now a power hub of the economy. His son surely saw her so regularly that he wouldn't need an arrangement, and she probably knew too much as to trust himself.

So what was his son aiming at? From past arguments, he knew that the heiresses weren't really an option, but what else was he _supposed_ to do?

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_A/N: Two update in one news, and very good news: I have finished the first draft of the complete story, and will now probably be able to keep updating daily. I will proofread and rework one chapter per day, as I do have some work for uni coming up, but this story is now officially unlikely to be stuck on incomplete. And I might have to up the rating... I will check the ratings guideline on that. The next chapters are also likely to be bit longer..._


	5. B: The prey Telltale glasses

(The tell-tale glasses)

Several days later, Yoshio Ootori once again found himself waiting in front of the impressive doors that led to his son's office. He was nervous – _more nervous than he rightfully should be_, he thought grimly.

He had been bright enough to combine his two plans and come up with an heiress that was also talented, and had made a lot of inquiries and some preliminary approaches to the family. He needed his son's approval before doing anything else. _To be reduced to that... _

Finally, the doors opened and his son and an attractive blond man came out of the office – Tamaki Suoh. What a change he had undergone, but he still had his boyish good looks. His son was talking amiably and laughed out once – Yoshio Ootori couldn't remember that he had heard that sound ever again. When the two men realized that there was somebody waiting, the easy mood left swiftly. Tamaki excused himself with a promise to call, and curtly greeted him. They had never been on the best terms, especially after the incident at the Ouran festival.

Kyouya turned to greet his father and asked him to follow into the office. Once the usual seating arrangements were taken, Kyouya looked down on his expectantly. "I am guessing that you have good news?" he asked. Judging from the refound strength in his father's gaze, there was some new development. Hopefully, it was nothing that hadn't been planned on ahead. "Well, I have a possible candidate, and I am here to get approval for further steps. You may know her from Ouran Academy, she is one year your junior. Her father used to be one of my business associates, a large company in the entertainment industry. She has taken over the European branch of his company some years ago and is expected to soon follow in his chair. Her name is Hoshakuji Renge."

Kyouya nearly- very nearly - snorted, but he managed to contain himself and raised an eyebrow. He had no idea how his father had managed to pick the one candidate they had not foreseen in their plan, and yet still pick the only one that would never accept him. It was close, but their plan had been not been endangered. "I thank you for your efforts, my father, but you needed four days to come up with a candidate that already has a steady boyfriend? I am very certain that Renge-chan would never accept an arranged marriage, much less one with me. She is very modern," he finished, emphasizing their familiarity.

His father looked as if lightning had just struck him and melted him to his seat. He had obviously thought to have found the perfect candidate... Kyouya had to give him credit for actually coming up with someone who wasn't just a dumb girl with daddy's money, but that Renge had been his choice. The irony was worth it all. He would have to call the others as soon as this meeting was over. He just needed to finish it.

He had for a second believed that their plan, that really only relied on his father's inability to see the true worth of people and hopefully a bit of good luck, but now he was back in his role. This wasn't a revenge for normal people, this was about settling a very specific conflict between two very specific characters. Kyouya had always been good at calculating, and calculating what his father would do had always been his prime specialty. That was why his father never saw him coming, his talent of working in the shadows fully intact against that one old-fashioned, stubborn, direct man. It was time to finish him off.

"Oh well, I suppose you couldn't have known. Renge-chan rarely does things the traditional Japanese way. Must have been her European experiences," Kyouya pretended to muse. "So why don't you continue looking?" His father finally seemed to get his face back under control. "You want me to continue searching for bride?"he asked, not being able to keep the disbelief from his voice. " Well, my workload has hardly decreased, and I still want to get married, so I really don't see another option. Oh, and since you already started to look up the daughters of your former business contacts, let me take this chance of reminding you of my position on marrying money – it hasn't changed. I am quite capable to earn it, so I really don't need any to sit around at home." With this last statement, he sent his father the feared death glare, that made the older shrink into the chair.

"Well, with this being cleared up, I am sure you will understand that I have a conference call waiting. Please contact me as soon as you have any news. Have a good day, father." Yoshio Ootori stood up, and tried to get out of the office at least before his despair could show. He had been given another chance, he had been given instructions, but he had also received the first defeat in this battle.

Once he was sure his father had left the building, Kyouya called towards the painting: " Tamaki, you can come out now. A burst of laughter erupted from the now open door. " Thank goodness, I thought I'd die in there from keeping in the laughter. How on earth did he figure out Renge as a candidate... " "Yeah, the workings of his mind surprise even me sometimes. Fortunately, she wouldn't dream of accepting me..." "Hmm, someone made very sure of that. Come on, let's call them and have lunch. You must be starved from all this planning and scheming, and they need to hear this."

The two men exited the building shortly after, and drove away in a black limousine towards the city's fashionable Ebisu district, meeting their friends .Yoshio Ootori didn't go quite so far – he barely managed to get into the next open bar, before the whole weight of what had just happened impacted. Lately, Sake seemed to be only one to understand him...

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_A/N: Hope you liked it... I'm glad that some reviews already said that it's ok to be mean to Yoshio Ootori. I started to feel sorry... On another note, I'll be posting a drabble that is based on a weird - freudian? - typo I had in the draft. It's not necessarily connected to this story, but you probably could interpret it that way..._


	6. B: The prey Twofaced, doublybound

(Two faced, doubly bound)

Haruhi Fujioka was certainly busy these days – during most days, she was in her office but rarely, and even then only for the time it would take to get the case folder. Most of her clients would prefer see her during evening appointments, as their own days were usually busy too, or on video calls that she would make from her car.

The - economic- majority of her caseload was of course coming from her friends, the former Host Club members, and some of their former clients. She had however reserved two days to "commoner cases", as was the insider label. Here, she would be in her office, and take on the problems of "normal" people. She did a bit of pro-bono work as well, but she refused to do it for all "commoners" - she knew how she had felt when everyone seemed to think her too poor to buy food – these were very normal people with normal jobs, who just had the good luck to get an extraordinary lawyer at a normal rate. However, she appreciated the perspective the relatively little cases gave her.

She would never have expected to see Ootori Yoshio enter her office during those hours that were devoted to "commoners".

She remembered him well, from when she had first seen him at Ouran Academy. Some of her friends had such a family that she wondered how they ever made it through – Tamaki with his cruel grandmother, still trying all the time, and Kyouya, intimated, stubborn and very enclosed because of his father. She remembered how she had wondered why they didn't simply hate, but continued to try, and she also remembered how much she had respected and admired them for that strength.

"Mr. Ootori, what can I do for you?" she asked, finally snapping out of her musings. "Miss Fujioka, let me speak plainly. How can I induce you to marry my son?" From his past encounters, he guessed that the direct approach would work best. She didn't even blink once, just settled back comfortably in her chair- where had he seen that gesture before? - and asked: "Why should I oblige you? You've never done anything to earn my gratitude or recommend yourself. Nor have you ever had the means to tempt me financially, if that is what you are implying."

"Miss Fujioka, I do not think that you personally have had any reason to feel slighted by me. This is not the time for resenting someone else's past. My son, as I am sure you are very well aware, has asked me to arrange his marriage. Therefore, I am looking for the most suitable candidate. He has always, and also recently, rejected to marry into wealth and tradition, so I presume he wants someone as talented as him. You have been his friend for several years, have proven your intelligence and worth, and are probably the only one who is able to keep up with him." " I wouldn't be too sure about that, Mr. Ootori," Haruhi interrupted, "your son has more good friends who are very worthy of being so. Me being the only female one surely cannot be a reason for marriage."

This silenced the old Ootori for a moment – he had started this of the wrong foot. He decided to start over more humbly. "I didn't mean to imply that I asked you only because you were the girl in the group. I asked because you are similar to my son in a lot of ways, and that put together, you would work well and achieve a lot. Do not get this wrong, but I know that the friendship you share with the members of the - -Host Club - - has sometimes been more. My son is eligible, and since friendship is apparently a border that can be crossed, I humbly ask you to consider him."

Haruhi was a bit perplexed, and carefully hid it underneath a nonchalant mask. She hadn't expected him to crumble that quickly, and she also hadn't anticipated that he followed the rainbow press.

When the Host Club members had graduated, the boys had experienced some difficulties in getting used to a normal teenage life – during their time in the Host Club, they had perfected the art of wooing women, but never knew how to continue. All they had ever done was to see some cuteness, and with their acts in the host club, they had but wandered on a border that they only recognized from the reactions of their customers. They had, in order to keep their clients, denied themselves the feelings normal teenage boys would have, and were actually pretty clueless.

She hadn't had those adaption problems, maybe because her gender conscience had always been lower and she didn't have to suppress quite as much. Haruhi had simply done what she had always done – listening and helping them on. Her attention had at times been a bit more focused on the one one or other member, so that out standers would mark them as a couple. They were all very close, but that did not mean that she had been close physically with _all_ of them.

Huni had been the first to go in a major crisis – during his first year of college, he had a growth spur and was now taller than Tamaki. He had found it difficult to still like cute things when he himself was no longer cute, and Haruhi had talked to him and stayed with him and at some point, he realized that nothing changed. His wife was probably the frilliest, cutest, sweetest girl Haruhi had gotten to know, but she was exactly what Huni needed.

Ironically, when Huni shut himself off, Mori had gone and got himself a substitute – the now Mrs. Haninozuka. He soon found out that cuteness in girls was one thing he couldn't stand – crisis number two was at hand. Haruhi was there again, and together they figured out that Mori needed someone who would dare to challenge him, and actually fight back.

Then Tamaki had graduated – he had probably been the one who had build up the most complex protection, and when it all suddenly crumbled, Haruhi was again there to pick up the pieces. Then, his grandmother died, his mother moved to Japan, and he finally had the family he always wanted. His position as heir was no longer questioned, and so he decided to use his gift for wooing the public to help others, and entered the charity scene. Not long after, and he returned from the filming of a documentary on refugee camps in Darfur, engaged to someone as devoted to helping others as himself.

The twins had been the last that Haruhi had had to help – first Hikaru, who wanted her, or at least someone like her, and then Kaoru, who wanted Hikaru, or at least someone like him.

Kyouya was the only one of the boys who had managed the transition from high school host to a rich, excellent but average on the love life scale student without problems – he had also been the one to have been conscious of girls- her, really – beyond the level of cuteness and express physical desire, though she had been the dense one then.

They hadn't been sure whether Kyouya's father would take note of such things, but apparently, being meticulous was a family trait. It was an interesting turn that he resolved to bring it up though, something they anticipated him doing only as a last resort – she would have to call for a tactical meeting later. First, she needed to get rid of Ootori senior according to plan, before everything would fall apart.

"Mr. Ootori, I do not think that you understand the workings of our group of friends even close enough to make assumptions about the level of friendship we have. Clearly, you also do not know your son well enough to even grasp his worth, trying to sell him off as a bargain. You have however always had a tendency to underestimate the Host Club and what it has made of us. To comply with your request is impossible." "But..." "This is my final answer. You will have to excuse me, I have clients waiting."

When he had left her office, Haruhi dialed speed-dial one on her phone. " He was just here, and asked me to _consider_ you... just imagine!"she told Kyouya, who had answered after the first ring."I got rid off him according to plan, and Tachibana is following him, making sure he doesn't do anything stupid.... Can I see you tonight?" "I'll come by with food at around seven, is that ok?"

Again, Yoshio Ootori found himself in front of large office building, longing for a sake. His mission was a failure, he had lost the final battle between himself and his son. He didn't know where he had been wrong – there should have been a way to succeed. Or had he been set up? He would probably never know in his Himeji "confinement". He'd best go and buy some gardening equipment after facing his son.

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_A/N: Here it is, and finally, Haruhi got an appearance. I hope you don't mind the background, and I tried to avoid any Mary-Sueishms, I just needed to point out the difference between the boys. Hope you liked it - 2 chapters to go...Let me know what you think?_


	7. C: The catch All's fair in love and war

Part C: The catch

( All's fair in love and war)

They had fallen asleep on the sofa, limbs entangled and his hand possesively on her waist. Slowly waking up, Haruhi tried to turn around without falling of the couch, where they had just celebrated their victory over his personal trauma. He had arrived with a bottle of champagne, a box of sushi hastily packed at a fancy bar in town and the recording of his father on his voicemail. Yoshio Ootori had called from the way to Himeji, preferring not to face his son with the news of his failure. His defeat would first have to be acknowledged in solitude. The food and champagne lay forgotten at the entrance to Haruhi's office. A trail of hastily displaced clothing led through the room. After the news of their victory had sunk in the pause between their phone conversation, they had been too desperately needing each other.

The battle was over, and they had overcome the one trauma that Kyouya had harboured. She remembered the scene in the office, when she was reminded of the troubles the others had had. Kyouya had never needed help turning into a man, but he had needed her help finally evening the score with his father – not only for himself, but for his sister. All the hard feelings his father 's behaviour had created finally got an outlet.

She knew how important this had been – and how onlookers might despise them for their actions or not even recognise them as actions. It had been but a subtle revenge, but the only revenge that would work in a relationship between two men like Kyouya and Ootori Yoshio. Everything between them was not defined by outward violence, but by power displays on a psycholgical level. Their battles only ever took place on the non-visible spectre, it was always but a challenge of minds. It was always about hierarchy and power. But Yoshio Ootori had entered this knowing the risk, and when he had recognised his defeat, he had returned to his place.

She felt Kyouya stirring behind her and helping her when he realized what she was trying to do. Looking straight into his eyes, she asked " all better now?" He chastely kissed her on his lips, and she knew that he had left another part of his protective shell with the food. He smiled and nodded, and she kissed him back.

"I can't believe how lucky we were" he finally said. She nodded into his chest, then looked up: "I am very glad that I didn't have to lie. You know what that would do to my reputation," she playfully observed. He grinned, and she reveled how easy that came by now. "It was very lucky he _only_ asked you to consider me." "Well, I did that a long time ago, couldn't have done that again. Besides, I might have been biased," she responded, trailing a finger down his chest.

"We should move this party somewhere else," he murmured in her ear. "It's getting a bit cramped..." "Don't wanna to move..." she mumbled into the junction of his neck and shoulders, and looked up "you are very comfortable, did I ever tell you that?" "I don't think so, but it's good to know – you know, you are always welcome to take advantage of that...." "Mmmmh, definitely will..." she yawned " but I think I could use some food.." "Mmmhh, food. Ok, let's move..." Haruhi wriggled herself on top of his chest, looking into his eyes. "Are you glad you did it?" He looked straight back. "You know I am." "Would you do it again?" "I would, but I would prepare myself for being presented with Renge, and make sure that Tamaki isn't hiding in the walls, " he smiled "and I am very grateful for what you did for me, Haruhi Ootori."

Haruhi tipped on his nose: "You know we haven't decided on that yet." "I thought the marriage was next year?" "The name... but I think I could get used to it..." she mused, suddenly fully awake, "hey, I can start wearing the ring again!" "Do you want me to put it on? " "How could I ever refuse that," she giggled when he slipped the unassuming band on her ring finger.

"I love you, Haruhi" he said, very earnestly. She blushed and kissed him again. " I love you, Kyouya."


	8. C: The catch Epilogue

(Epilogue)

Revenge, some might argue, is a low and culpable feeling. It is, however, in some instances the only thing that will free a person completely of the demon's of his past. As childish and cruel such actions may be, for some they will be necessary in order to forgive.

It may be nitpicking, even fussy to harbor these feelings and let them out – but it's a human emotion, and when some are prone to anger, others are prone to cold plans.

Some might argue that you have no right to treat parents that way – but what gave parents the right to show revenge-evoking behavior in the first place?

Revenge is a dish best cold means that hot, fast revenge is usually not successful, hurting the avenger more than the target. Cool, planed, thought-out revenge will reach it's target and do what it is supposed to do – create a feeling of equality between two persons.

Some need to leave their past behind, for others, it always be a link to their past. You cannot really judge unless you know the circumstances very well.

This was a personal revenge, something that would only work between two very specific persons, based on their characters, their behaviors and the development of their relationship. It was subtle, focused and aimed at where it would hurt the most. Others wouldn't even have noticed.

In Kyouya's case, revenge was what he needed to finally free himself of the ghosts his father had created, and it made him a softer man. On the other hand, his childhood experiences gave him a very clear picture of how he wanted his own children to grow up. He had needed the outlet, but he wouldn't let his life be tainted by what he had experienced.

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_A/N: So, this is the end - I hope you enjoyed it - oads and loads of lthank yous to everyone who reviewed or put this on alert - I appreciated your feedback so much and it helped me raising the confidence to post this. Thanks for staying and reading!!!_


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